The present disclosure relates generally to small appliances, and more particularly to electric can openers.
Electric can openers are a common household appliances that are capable of removing the top of a metal can. Traditional electric, top-cut can openers cut the lid away from the inside of the can leaving sharp edges on the removed lid and the inside diameter of the can. The blade is lowered into place and pierces the lid of the can. The lid typically “holds” the blade in place as the can opener rotates the can so that the lid is cut. Once the cut line reaches back to the original point, the lid is separated from the can and no longer holds the blade in position. The releasing of the blade allows movement of the cutting mechanism, which opens a switch or otherwise signals the can opener to turn off. In this regard, this type of electric can openers has an auto-off feature.
Side cut can openers, also known as seam or rim-cutting type, open the top of a can by cutting the outside seam, or rim, of the can. The blade is in a fixed location on the can opener and does not pierce the upper surface of a can as with a traditional top cut can opener. Side cut can openers provide an alternative method for removing the top of a can wherein sharp edges are not created. However, commercially available side cut can openers do not have a feature to automatically stop the can/motor from rotating upon completion of cutting the lid from the can. As such, a user must monitor the can opener's operation and manually stop the can opener when the cut is complete.
It has heretofore not been discovered how to create an electric side cut can opener with the ability to automatically terminate the opening operation (aka, an “auto-off feature”). The electric can opener of the following disclosure overcomes the above-described disadvantages of conventional electric side cut can openers.